Preliminary data suggest Omicron is more transmissible, causes milder cases than Delta, WHO says

World Health Organization officials said Wednesday that preliminary data suggest omicron presents a rapid increase in transmission, but the variant causes milder cases of covid-19 than delta, which is still spreading across the globe.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned against drawing “firm conclusions,” as he said it is “too early to be sure” and more data and time is needed to have a “complete picture” on the risks and impact of the variant.

He urged countries to keep their guard up, accelerate vaccine access and intensify measures to keep transmissions down. He also urged countries to expand testing and surveillance activities and share samples with the international community.

Source: Washington Post